Where the wild things are

Drive-thru safaris offer chance to see zoo animals up close

Mar. 29, 2013

A monkey sits on a rear-view mirror of a vehicle making its way through the African Lion Safari drive-thru game preserve, located about an hour west of Toronto near Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. / Benjamin Wideman/HTR Media

A baby rhinoceros waits to be fed by a visitor on a caravan tour at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, Calif. / Benjamin Wideman/HTR Media

An aerial view of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, Calif. The 1,800-acre reserve offers caravan tours, which give visitors a chance to drive up right next to some of the animals and feed them. / Benjamin Wideman/HTR Media

A visitor feeds a giraffe during a caravan tour at San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, Calif. / Benjamin Wideman/Sheboygan Press Media

Three zebras feed at the African Lion Safari, located about an hour west of Toronto near Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. / Benjamin Wideman/HTR Media

Visitors to the African Lion Safari go past a warning sign at the drive-thru game preserve located on the property. The location is about an hour west of Toronto, near Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. / Benjamin Wideman/HTR Media

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As I entered the game preserve, signs like “Dangerous animals, keep windows closed” and “Trespassers will be eaten” greeted me, followed immediately by thoughts of “Don’t go in there,” “What are you thinking?” and “You have so much to live for!”

Inside these barriers, I was the endangered species.

The African Lion Safari, located an hour west of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, was one of two animal reserves I visited that give visitors the chance to walk on the wild side, or rather, drive. The other was the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

The more than 5-mile drive through the African Lion Safari travels through seven separate areas that feature animals from different continents, including Africa, the Americas and Australia.

Some of the park’s more notable residents include cheetahs, bison, zebras and giraffes. But, of course, lions, just like in the jungle, rule supreme.

During my trip, while most of the adult lions lazily sunned themselves as the cubs played nearby, one lion showed who was boss by temporarily parking itself in front of the line of traffic.

Cars patiently waited, not wanting to cross it.

Luckily, there was no reason to be a scaredy-cat.

African Lion Safari is one of the few locations in North America that allows visitors to drive through a reserve with their own vehicles.

And though it’s clear you’re entering at your own risk, the animals seem to have gotten used to a stream of cars zigzagging through the dirt roads of their home.

Still, that doesn’t make a rhino — which was the size of a small car and weighed twice as much — standing a few feet away from you seem any less thrilling.

Driving through the primate exhibit also will make for an interesting tale. The dozens of baboons seem to think it is their job to sit on roofs of cars and hang on antennas while overseeing the flow of traffic and looking in on drivers to make sure no monkey business is going on inside.

Some guests may choose to skip the primate exhibit, where dozens of baboons seemed to think it is their job to sit on roofs of cars and hang on antennas while overseeing the flow of traffic and looking in on drivers to make sure there is no monkey business going on inside.

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The park has seen expansive growth since opening in 1969 with 40 lions in three reserves, according to the African Lion Safari website. Today, more than 1,000 animals, comprised of more than 100 species, roam the 750-acre park.

In addition to driving through the reserve, guests can watch the park’s herd of Asian elephants walk trunk-to-tail before stampeding into their watering hole for some poolside fun. Despite the large size of the pool, the elephants waste no time swimming up close to where guests are watching to show off their water aerobics.

Other activities include an elephant show where they perform tricks (such as moving heavy logs, dunking basketballs and painting), elephant rides, a scenic railway, a boat cruise around Safari Lake, a petting zoo, bird aviaries and bird shows, and a water play area for kids.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

The San Diego Zoo is arguably the most well-known zoo in the country. But it’s the San Diego Zoo Safari Park that allows visitors to go on safari without visiting Africa.

The Safari Park, which is located about an hour northeast of San Diego in Escondido, Calif., has a few more traditional exhibits to walk by. But spending some extra cash to get up close and personal to the animals is worth the additional expense.

You won’t be able to take your own car through this park, but the benefit is an open-air vehicle that gives you a more authentic experience, smells included.

There are different options to travel through the 1,800-acre reserve, but the caravan tours offer a chance to feed giraffes and rhinos, two of the dozens of species that call the California valley home.

Getting cozy with a 14-foot giraffe that isn’t shy about slobbering on your hand if you hold onto its food for too long is one thing.

But feeding a rhino is a whole different experience, and one that is a rarity in the United States. With its mouth open wide, the white rhino waited impatiently for apple slices to be given to him by the hands of a few brave tourists.

And though it’s common knowledge not to bite the hand (arms, fingers or head) that feeds you, I wouldn’t recommend waiting too long to pass over the sweet treats. Because a rhino is not an animal you want to lock horns with.

Among the many other animals you’ll encounter during the caravan safari are antelope, crowned cranes and zebras.

The Safari Park has about 3,000 animals comprised of more than 400 species, according to its website. It showcases herd-style animals from the plains and savannas of Africa and Asia that normally roam together in the wild.

The park also offers a tethered hot air balloon ride that offers a view from 400 feet in the air. In addition, visitors can speed down a zip line from about 160 feet in the air above rhinos, deer and other animals in the field below.